Diverging Paths: Kira, Pilot for ZAFT
by AotA
Summary: What if Athrun had said something slightly different when he confronted Kira when Kira was sending Lacus over to him? What if, to protect his friends, Kira left the Archangel and put himself in the hands of ZAFT, expecting little mercy and an uncertain fa


Diverging Paths: Kira, Pilot for ZAFT

Strawberry Seraph

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed! It belongs to its rightful owner! I am not seeking any sort of earnings from this writing!

(No fringe benefits either.)

Summary: What if Athrun had said something slightly different when he confronted Kira when Kira was sending Lacus over to him? What if, to protect his friends, Kira left the Archangel and put himself in the hands of ZAFT, expecting little mercy and an uncertain fate?

Diverging Paths

"Kira, if you come with me, the Vesalius will have no reason to follow the Archangel."

Kira flinched back as his eyes widened, "What? No!"

Athrun gripped Lacus' hand tighter, "Listen to me damnit! The Vesalius is targeting the Strike! Please!" The ZAFT pilot bowed his head, his shoulders shaking slightly, "Come with me Kira. Please…"

Kira shook his head in denial, "No. It can't be!"

Athrun watched his friend as he realized what he was saying, "Please… Kira… I don't want to have to kill you. Please don't force me to kill you."

"I don't want to fight you, Athrun. I really don't! But my friends!" the violet eyed civilian glared in pained confusion at his friend, "I can't just abandon them!"

Athrun's eyes softened, knowing the turmoil his often naïve, peace loving friend was going through, "You won't be abandoning them Kira. They will leave with the Archangel, but if you don't come with me now, the Vesalius will no longer have a reason to stop from shooting down the Archangel and you will have condemned them."

Kira seemed to collapse in upon himself, his hands clenching and unclenching on the Strike's controls, "I'll do it…" He looked back up at Athrun, tears in his eyes, "I'll go with you but only if your ship lets the Archangel go!"

Relief poured off of the ZAFT pilot, "Thank you Kira… "I never wanted anything like this to happen, but I'm hope that we will eventually be able to be friends again after this."

Athrun closed his cockpit, Kira doing the same and began withdrawing from the scene, towards the Vesalius, for Athrun, his comrades, and for Kira, an unknown fate at the mercy of ZAFT, the ones who had caused the destruction of Heliopolis, his home.

As the were leaving, Kira's comm. activated one last time, "Strike! Respond! What is going on Kira?!"

Kira's fingers hesitated over the terminate button for the communications line, but then pressed it, cutting it off before Meriallia could say anything more and fired his thrusters to catch up with the Aegis who had wound up further ahead.

Athrun looked at Kira on the screen, sympathy more prevalent than ever, and whispered, quietly, "I am truly sorry, Kira…"

And both of them vanished into the opening belly of the Vesalius.

- - - - -

"Kira!" Meriallia cried into the mic before static was all that came over the line.

She took off the headset and stared at it in shock.

A loud clang attracted the attention of the others on the bridge of the Archangel.

Meriallia had slammed the headset down on the consol in front of her, her shoulders shaking with restrained hurt and directionless fury, tears glimmering in her eyes.

Silence reigned on the bridge as the realization at what had just happened sank in, save for Meriallia's sobs as she curled up in her chair, drifting slightly off of it due to the Zero-G situation of the ship.

Captain Ramius watched the Strike disappear into the hangar with dark eyes.

She had failed in bringing the Strike to the Lunar Base.

She had failed because she had taken a hostage.

She had failed and in all likelihood cost them their lives.

- - - - -

Okay, this is an idea that hit me when I was watching Gundam Seed episodes on Youtube. Anyone can use it as an idea, so long as they tell me that they intend to use it. I don't know if I will ever expand on it, because I really suck at continuing on projects that I start, as, if you check my fanfiction author page. It's embarrassing really…

I think that I'll stick to oneshots at the moment because I'm good at those.

Strawberry Seraph out!


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